BLACK NATIVITY

US, 2013, 92 minutes, Colour.
Forrest Whitaker, Angela Bassett, Jennifer Hudson, Tyrese Gibson, Jacob Lattimore, Mary J.Blige, Vondie Curtis- Hall, Grace Gibson.
Directed by Kasi Lemmons.

Black Nativity is geared towards a niche audience, African- American audiences, especially those who are at home in Christian churches, revival meetings, enthusiastic prayer in the spirit as well as a belief in the goodness of human nature and hope in human miracles. For others who share this spirit, the film will be inspirational. Otherwise, it might be too much to take with its explicit religious enthusing as, preaching, drawing on the Christmas story and applying it to contemporary problems.

The film has a libretto by African- American poet, Langston Hughes. And writer-director, Kasi Lemmons, has woven a moralising story around this so that it is drama and melodrama, especially towards the end, along with the many songs, some in the Negro Spiritual tradition, others more in the rap tradition, and some presented in operatic style. The musical atmosphere of the film will be an invitation to some to enjoy it but may prove difficult for those not on the wavelength.

The contemporary story involves a teenager, played by rap-singer, Jacob Lattimore, who lives with his single mother, Jennifer Hudson, who is about to lose her house. She is alienated from her parents but decides to send her son to stay with them. He travels from Baltimore to New York, his luggage is immediately stolen by a young boy, and when he tries to get information, he sees a wallett left on the hotel counter. In prison, he comes across a tough man whom he later meets at a pawnbrokers, also selling guns, who turns out to be his absent father.

He is bailed by his grandfather, a minister at the church, and welcomed to his home, especially by his wife. The couple are played by Forrest Whitaker and Angela Bassett. The minister shows the boy a watch given to his father by Martin Luther King, which the boy takes and attempts to pawn, only to be rebuffed in the shop by the owner, played by Vondie Curtis Hall (husband of director Kasi Lemmons).

Along the way he meets several characters in the street, a white-wigged singer, Mary J.Blige, who performs as an angel in the church and a genial couple who have been saved by the Minister.

The boy is resentful, tries to contact his mother, is compelled to go to Black Nativity, a religious performance at the church, compered by the minister, with his wife in the chorus, lots of singing, clapping and shouting, with the minister telling the story of Mary and Joseph going to Bethlehem, a couple coming through the church to re-enact this.

The boy falls asleep, experiences a fantasy sequence in Times Square, experiencing the equivalent of Mary and Joseph coming to Bethlehem, Mary in need, his trying to help, the birth of the child. But, when he wakes, he leaves the church to keep an appointment with the gun dealer – who challenges him about why he wants the gun, reveals the fact that he is his father, supplies something of the background reasons for his leaving. In the meantime, the minister’s wife urges a young policeman to go to find the boy.

At this time, the mother travels to New York City, arrived just in time to see the police with her son and the father of her son. The boy is upset, realises this is an opportunity to find out the truth about himself and his life, what he has always been yearning for – and the group go into the church, with the minister being compelled to explain what he had done, paying off the man, suffering the loss of his daughter, but his daughter able to forgive him, embracing her mother, and a reconciliation all-round.

The final scenes offer an opportunity for all the characters to sing, especially Jennifer Hudson (Oscar for Dreamgirls) as the mother.

The film is very edifying and inspirational – probably too much for a more secular-oriented audience. But it is interesting to see the gospel stories presented in dramatic and song form, and an unashamed reliance on the biblical messages for the contemporary world and troubles.